Liquid-dispensing device.



W. WAGNER.

LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED fs.29.19r2.

1 1 42,2 1 O. Patented J une 8, 1915.

Ur sa RAYVIO WATER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OE ILLINOIS.

LIQUID-DISPENSING DEVICE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

- Application led February 29, 1912. Serial No. 680,622.

To all whom t may concern.' i

Be it known that I, WALTER l/VAGNER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in: the county` oflCook and State of Illinois, have .invented-new and useful Improvementsin Liquid-Dispensing Devices, ofwhich the following is a full, clear,concise, and exact description, reference. being had to the accompanyingdrawing, forming a part of this specification. i

My invention pertains to dispensing devices lfor drinking water,non-aerated beverages, and the like, vand especially lrelates to watercoolers Vof the kind in which a watercontaining bottle is inverted uponan icecooled water-receiving vessel, from which vessel the water may bedrawn from time to time, as desired, the water thus withdrawn from thevessel being replaced by water from the bottle. y

In the use of water coolers of the character set forth above, it is ofcourse necessary t0 replace a bottle by a full onewhenever it has becomeempty; and, inorder that this may be done, the full bottle must first beuncorked.V It has been found that, in order to prevent thej water fromflowing out of the neck of the new bottle during the necessary tiltingof the latter before placing it on the cooler, the person whose duty itis to attend to the cooler will frequentlyfplace his hand over the mouthof the bottle, the palm of the hand being thus brought into directcontact with the drinking water. As `the-,attendant is usually ajanitor, or some other person whose duties do not admit of greatcleanliness of the hands, the possibility of handling the` bottle inthis manner is eX- Ytremely undesirable from a sanitary standpoint. Evenif the attendant should not place his hand over the mouth of the bottlewhile inverting it, but should place thebottle in its inverted positionin the cooler bya quick tilting movement, the result would be that aconsiderable quantity ofwater would escape fromk the bottle during suchmovement, and the water receptaclewould therefore become iilled toA aheight above that ofk the mouth of the bottle, whereby any dirt whichmight be present upon the outside of the neck of the bottle would bewashed olf into-the drinking water; and this, also, is undesirable froma sanitary standpoint.A

It is an object of my invention to provide a liquiddispensing devicewhichwill not be subject to the above disadvantages, which Vwill be of asanitary nature, and in which access of impurities to the water beforeit reaches the drinking glass is absolutely prevented. v

A water cooler constructed in accordance with my invention, togetherwith two forms of bottle closure, is described, by way of eX- ample, inthe following specification, and shown inl the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the cooler, a bottle beingshown in position therein; and Fig. 2 is a sectional viewof a modifiedform of bottle closure.

Referring now to the drawing, 10 indicates an ice tank, within which ismounted a -water-receiving vessel 11, the latter being provided with anoutlet pipe 12 which passes through the ice tank andterminates, outsidethe latter, in a faucet 13, by means of which water may be drawn fromthe vessel 11, as desired. The vessel 11 is open at its upper end, andis provided, at its top edge with a ring 14, of rubber or the like, uponwhich the shoulder of the water bottle is adapted to rest when thebottle is in place in the cooler.k Bypthis means, atight connection ismade between the bottle and the'top edge of the vessel 11.

The parts, as described above, are of a well known construction, andconsequently do not require detailed description here.

, Locatedy in the water vessel 11 is a stand 15 which, in theconstruction shown, comprises three legs 16, the ends of which rest uponthe bottom of the vessel 11 and are sufficiently spaced apart so thatthey will engage the sides of the vessel andthus maintain the stand 15at the center thereof. The stand 15 is further provided with threeupwardly extending arms 17,'the ends of which are bent outwardly,gsothat the three arms forma guide f or directing the mouth of the .bottletoward the center of the stand 15.

The stand 15 is provided with an aXial, upwardly projecting spike or pin18, the function of which is to perforate the bottle'closure when thebottle is inverted upon the vessel 11, andy thus permit the water fromthe vessel to flow into the vessel.

The bottle 19 is provided with a closure which is adapted to beperforated by the spike 18. This closure consists of a disk 20, formedof leadfoil or some other material which may be torn with vsufiicientreadiness, placed .upon the mouth of the bottle, and secured in place bymeans of a threaded cap 21. The cap 21 engages screw threads 22 formedon the neck 23 of the bottle, and is adapted to be screwed firmly downuponA the neck 23, so as to clalnp the disk 20 securely in place. Agasket 24 is inserted between the disk 20 and the cap 21, so as torender the closure completely watertight. In order that the spike 18 maypass up into the neck 23 to perforate the disk 20, the cap 21 is formedwith a central aperture 25.

In the practice of my invention, the bottles will be supplied readyprovided with closures of the kind described above. Vhen it is desiredto place a full bottle in the dispensing device, no uncorking operationis required, it being merely necessary to invert the bottle and placeit, mouth downward, in the vessel 11. The mouth of the bottle will thusbe placed over the spike 18, which latter will enter through theaperture 25 of the cap 21,'and will encounter and perforate the disk 20.vWhen the disk 20 has thus been perforated, the water will How from thebottle into the vessel 11, and, in iowing out, will still further tearthe disk 20. The water will pour out of the bottle until the level ofthe ywater in the vessel has risen slightly above the plane of the mouthof the bottle. Nhenthe water in the vessel has reached this level, nomore water can escape from the bottle, by reason of the fact that aircannot enter the bottle to disi place the water. .lVhen, however, wateris drawn ofi' from the vessel lll through the faucet-13, the level inthe ,vessel will fall, and enough air will be admitted tothe bottle topermit sufficient water to escape to restore the level of the water inthe vessel 11. 'Ihe level of the water in the vessel 11 thus remainsconstant, and never rises more than very slightly above the plane' ofthe mouth ofthe bottle,-`either when the bottle is first placed in thecooler, o r thereafter. The guide armsl? aid in bringing the mouth ofthe bottle into the correct position over the spike 1S, and prevent theedge of the cap 21 from accidentally striking the spike.

It will be seen from the above that the Y water in the bottle isabsolutely isolated until such time as the neck of the bottle has .beenplaced fairly within the vessel 11. Provided, therefore, that theinterior of the of the fact that the level of the water in the vesselnever rises above the plane of the mouth of the'bottle.

When it is desired to wash out the vessel 11, the stand 15 may be liftedout, thus leaving the interior of the vessel clear of any obstructionand enabling the stand 15 to be washed separately.

The closure employed is Vof. simple construction, and may be cheaplymade and placed in position; moreover, its use saves the time which isordinarily spent in uncorking the bottle. `When the bottles arerefilled, it is a simple matter to insert a new disk 20 beneath the cap..21v in place of the old torn one.

In the modified form of closure shown inV sheet 28 are folded downaround the neck 23; and the sheet is held in place by means of'anelastic Vring 29, formed of rubber or the like, which lies in the uppergroove 26. A protecting cap 30, formed of paratlined paper or the like,is placed over the sheet 28, and is secured in place by means of ametallic clamping ring 31. In the use of this form of closure, theprotecting cap 30 is removed previously to the placing of the bottle inthe cooler. Y'When the cap 30 has been removed, the bottle maybeinverted and placed, mouthV downward,y in the vessel 11, whereupon thespike 18 will'fperforate the sheet 28, just as was the case with thedisk 20. a f v While I have described'and shown one embodiment of myinvention, vand a modifiedv form of closure, I `wish it Vunderstood thatchanges maybe made inthe constructions shown, and that the invention issusceptible of being embodied in other forms.

What I claim being:

1. In a device for dispensing drinking water and n'on-aerated beverages,vthe combination with a bottle-supporting, liquid- 'receiving vesselhaving means for permitting the liquid to be drawn therefrom as desiredand having its upper end` open for the reception of the neck of aninverted bottle, of a liquid-containing bottle adapted to be invertedinto theopen upper end of said vessel and have its neck project downinto the vessel, av fragile'puncturable seal aiiiXe'd to said bottle forclosing'the opening thereof, which seal maintains the opening closedeven after thejbottle has been inverted, and a seal-puncturing devicemounted within said vessel adapted to puncture said `seal as the bottleis lowered into positijon and project through the seal into .the

mouthof the bottle when the bottle is in vits loweredpositiomsaid sealand puncturing .device being so `constructed that after the seal hasrbeen ypunctured vva water-flow Y side ofl the-puncturing device topermit the water to flow freely from. the bottle into the vessel, theseal being affixed to and removable with the bottle when the bottle isremoved from the vessel after having been emptied.

2. In a device ter and non-aeiated beverages,.the combination with a Y,bottle-supporting', :liquid-receiving vessel having means forpermitting' the liquid Vto be drawn therefrom as desired and having itsupper end open for the reception of the neck of an inverted bottle, of aliquidcontaining bottle adapted to be inverted into the upper end ofsaid vessel and having its neck project. down into the vessel, a fragilepuncturable sealA aflixed to said bottle for closing .the openingthereof, which seal maintains the opening closed even after the bottlehas been inverted, and-a seal-puncturing device removably mounted withinsaid vessel adapted to puncture said seal as the bottle is lowered intoyposition and project through the seal into the mouth of the bottle whenthe .bottle is in its lowered posi.- tion, said seal and puncturingdevice being so constructed that after the seal has been l punctured Vawater-flow opening will be formed in theseal between the walls of thepunctured portion and the sides of the p uncturing device to permit thewater to flow freely from the bottle into the vessel, the

seal being ailixed to and removable with the I bottle when the bottle isremoved from the vessel after having been emptied.

3. In a device for dispensing drinking wa- I ter and non-aeratedbeverages, the combination with a bottle-supporting, liquid-receivingvessel having means for permitting the liquid to be drawn therefrom asdesired and having its upper end open forthe-reception of the neck of aninverted bottle, of a liquidcontainingbottle adapted to be inverted intothe open end of said vessel and have its neck project down into thevessel, a seal having a fragile puncturable portion affixed to saidbottle for closing the opening thereof, which seal maintains the openingclosed even after the bottle has been inverted, and a seal-puncturingdevice mounted within said vessel adapted to puncture said seal as thebottle is lowered into position and project through the seal into themouth of the bottle when the bottle is in its lowered position, saidseal and puncturing device being so constructed that after the seal hasbeen punctured a water flow opening will be turing device to permit thewater to flow for dispensingdrii'iking walfreely from the bottle intothe vessel, V'the f seal being aflixed to and removable with the bottlewhen'the bottle is removed from the vessel after having been emptied.

4. Ina devicefor dispensing drinking water. and non-aerated beverages,the combinav tion with a bottle-supporting, liquid-receivling vesselhaving-means for permitting the liquid to be drawn therefroinas desiredland 'ha-ving its upper end open for the reception of thel neck offaninverted bottle, of a liquidcontaining bottle adapted to be invertedinto the open upper end of said vessel and have its 'neck' project downinto :the vessel,

a fragile puncturable seal afliXed to said bottle for closing theopening thereof, which seal maintains the opening closed even after thebottle has been inverted, a seal-puncturing device mounted within saidvessel adapted to puncture said seal as the bottley is lowered intoposition yand project through the seal into the mouth of the bottle whenthe bottle is in its lowered position, means forY lwith the bottle whenthe bottle is removed from the vessel after having been emptied.

5. In a device for dispensing water or non-aerated beverages, thecombination with a liquid-receiving` vessel having means for `permittingliquid to be drawn therefrom as desired, and having its upper end openfor the reception of the neck of an inverted bottle, andv a strandremovably mounted in said vessel, said stand'being provided with anupwardly projecting spike, and having upwardly extending arms forguiding the neck of the bottle toward said-spike, of a liquid-containingbottle adapted to be inverted into the open upper end of said vessel,and a sealaifixed to said bottle, said seal having a perforable portionadapted to be encountered and perforated by said spike,

when said bottle is inverted into said vessel.

6. In a device for dispensing drinking wayter and non-aerated'beverages,the combination with Va bottle-supporting, liquid-receiving vesselhavingmeans for permitting the liquid to be drawn therefrom as desiredand having its upper end open for the reception of the neck of aninvertedl bottle, of a liquidcontaining bottle adapted to be invertedinto the open end of said vessel and have its neck project down into thevessel, a closure seal for said .bottle comprising a sheet of fragileperforable material across the opening of said bottle for closing saidopening, which seal maintains the opening closed even after lthe bottlehas been inverted, and a sealpuncturing device mounted within saidvessel adapted to puncture said seal as the bottle is loweredintoposition and project through kthe seal into the mouth of the bottleywhen the bottle is in its lowered position, said seal and puncturmgdevice being so coning device to permit the water to iow freely Copieso! this patent may be obtained forve cents each, by ddressng theCommissioner of Patents,

from the bottle into the vessel,V theY sel being aixed to and removablewith the bottle when the bottle is removed fromY the 15 vessel 'afterhaving been emptied.

In witness whereof, I have hereu'ntosubscribed my name in the presenceof twowitnesses.

'n WALTER WAGN Witnesses;

CHARLES G. COPE, MABEL REYNOLDS.

Washington, TD. C.

